Frank Kurtis’ brilliantly engineered single-seater midget racers proved almost unbeatable on the racing circuit, and this example, chassis 139, possesses a proud competition history and a fascinating provenance. Its first owner was George Bignotti, a USAC Hall of Famer who, as a mechanic, helped win the Indianapolis 500 seven times. According to the research of Jim Montgomery, a historian for the Bay Cities Racing Association in California, this Kurtis was campaigned 116 times during the 1948 BCRA season, finishing seventh in the final point standings despite missing 35 races. Among the drivers who raced the car in 1948 were Bignotti himself, Fred Agabashian, Johnny Baldwin, Frank Cavanagh, and Mike McGreevy. In 1949, Bob Sweikert – a future Indy 500 champion – acquired this Kurtis and drove it to the 1949 BCRA Indoor Championship.
By the time the current owner acquired the midget racer in 2007, it had been disassembled, so he enlisted noted Kurtis Kraft expert Joe Fiore to perform a meticulous restoration of the car to its 1947 configuration. A period-correct Ford V8-60 motor was sourced and rebuilt by Tony Baron, a longtime flathead expert, and the racer now wears its original livery, with maroon upholstery and maroon and white paint scheme emblazoned with “7X.” The Antique Automobile Club of America has certified it as a period-correct restoration and has awarded it First Junior and First Senior Awards. With outstanding racing history, remarkable provenance, and an award-winning restoration, this Kurtis Kraft Midget Racer is an opportunity not to be missed.